Don't “neknominate” but help raise £500,000 to support a young boy’s fight against cancer.

That is the message being sent out via Facebook by friends of seven-year-old Dean Puplett who is battling neuroblastoma.

They want people taking part in the drinking craze fuelled by social media to donate a couple of quid to Dean’s fundraising efforts instead of downing pints in one.

A Facebook page has been set up in the Flintshire youngster’s name called: “Don’t neknominate. Help me raise £500k to beat neuroblastoma.”

That message is proving effective as they have collected £8,142.54 for Dean, via a Just Giving page.

In April 2010, Dean’s family was told he had Neuroblastoma Stage IV High Risk. This is an extremely aggressive cancer, which affects around 100 children in the UK a year and Dean was given only a 20% chance of survival.

But he endured 14 months of treatment including intense chemotherapy, a six- hour operation to remove the primary tumour from his adrenal gland, radiotherapy and a stem cell harvest and transplant.

In that last procedure, he contracted a life threatening liver disease.

But Brave Dean has battled back despite spending months unable to walk or even eat. His family say he has shown “strength and charisma” throughout his ordeal and he has now been cancer free since June 2011.

If his condition ever returned, he would need treatment costing up to £500k most probably in the US or Germany. In his Facebook appeal, he holds a board stating: “I am fighting cancer. I need your help to raise £500k for treatment not available on the NHS.”

He pleads with supporters: “Don’t #neknominate. Donate by text message by texting DEAN93 and your amount £1 - £10 to 70070 or donate at www.justgiving.com/deanpuplettappeal and then nominate two friends to do the same.”